I just wanted to say to the kind Guest review who made a suggestion about Jim (I don't want to spoil anything) but I thought it was a fantastic suggestion and yes, I will definitely write it in nearer the end, thank you so much.

...

She wasn't really surprised. On the surface, the two police officers who attended stayed longer than she'd expected – long enough to be considered doing their duty at the very least, but underneath the polite questions – insinuations – distrust was simmering. And then, there was Jim, she didn't even have to look at his face to realize that even he was beginning to have his doubts.

"Nothing was disturbed in the area you said you saw him, Miss. No one has been through that patch of grass for quite some time." one of the officers – the taller one – said with certainty. "It is very dark out tonight. Lotta trees." he added.

Pam frowned, pointing emphatically at the window in the direction of the trees. "He was standing there, by that tree, by the fence, looking this way."

"We scoured the area, Miss. The grass there is quite overgrown."

"It was undisturbed." the second officer added unhelpfully. "Sometimes at night, things in the dark can get distorted, things can look like other things. You're sure he was over there – right by the fence?"

Pam glared at his reflection in the window, hovering by the entrance, his squat build far too bulky for his height. His uniform looked like it had never seen an iron before. They didn't believe her, that was obvious. This was to them just one more hysterical woman to add to their daily logs.

The tall officer rested a hand on the back of the couch, taking another glance through the window. "We will run a check on his whereabouts, of course."

His calm nature was infuriating. "I know where he was." Pam said tightly, catching Jim's eye in silent meaning.

"We'll file a report."

Pam turned to face the other officer at the same time as Jim. "And in the meantime? What do I do if he comes back? If he tries to get in?" She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.

Jim slid an arm around her shoulders, steadying her. "She lives here by herself. There's gotta be something you can do."

"We can run a check, file a report-"

"And if he breaks in and attacks her?"

The tall officer rubbed his nose, looking at Jim apologetically. "Without proof that there was someone prowling outside there's not much we can do but give the usual advice, keep all the doors and windows locked, tighten up your security. Do you have another place to stay, Miss?"

"Sure. I can hop from house to house while he's still lurking around out there. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll get bored."

The officer studied Pam thoughtfully, poking his tongue against his cheek. "Have you been drinking, Miss?"

She recoiled, ducking her head as though the man had struck her. "Oh, for god's sake!" she cried, raising a hand to her mouth.

"On medication?"

"Hey, listen-" Jim snapped. "Listen, she's not a crank – are you taking this seriously or not?"

"Sir, please be assured we are taking this very seriously, and we will run a report on Mr… ah…uh..."

"Anderson." officer number two supplied, resting against the door.

Pam shook her head, leaning against Jim and dropped her hand from her mouth. "Well, thank you for coming." she said, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

"We'll see ourselves out." the officer added, walking to join his colleague at the door. The two men left without much more to say, and Pam followed them out, locking the door securely behind them.

"Am I staying here or are you coming back with me?" Jim folded his arms.

Pam felt her eyes narrow as she took him in, standing in the center of the room, a strange mix of concern and frustration on his face. "You don't believe anyone was out there either, do you?"

"Woah – I didn't say that. I wasn't thinking that. It's just… what do you think it's about?"

"What do you mean?" She felt her body go rigid.

"Kenny. In the middle of the night, just standing there? I know you saw what you saw. But… are you sure it wasn't a trick of the trees or the dark? What I'm saying is, you saw him clearly, right?"

"Yeah – I saw him! Someone was out there!" Her voice rose, high and stiff, full of a bitter fear that he would not believe her.

As always, he had anticipated her thinking. "I believe you." he said patiently, keeping his voice low. "Just those guys were saying that he couldn't have been where you said he was."

"Someone was out there!"

"Someone? Listen.. I know you've been expecting something like this-"

"– Look, don't patronize me like you're one of the cops, okay? You weren't here. I'm not crazy, Jim. They aren't going to leave me alone!"

"Kenny?"

She jerked her head up sharply. "I don't know!" she cried. Again, her shoulders slumped, her body sinking into resignation. The fight flickered out of her as suddenly as a blackout. "I don't know! I was so sure… it's so dark out, really dark. I got scared. I did see something, I really did."

"Hey," Jim moved towards her. "You did the right thing – calling the police and calling me. And at least we'll find out where Kenny is, that should make you feel a bit safer, right?"

"It should." she shrugged dismissively, walking across the room and slowly sinking onto the couch. She trembled at the possibility of him being correct. Her heart sank through her to the floor. She simply wasn't sure anymore. "I'm tired." she muttered. Jim turned his eyes on her contemplatively.

"Did you sleep at all tonight? Or were you…."

"Was I what?"

Jim looked uncomfortable. "Like… have you been having nightmares still?"

Pressed, Pam got to her feet, her eyes bright. "I did not dream this okay? I'm just telling you. I don't know what to tell you. I thought I saw him outside."

"I believe you," he said again. "What about tonight? What do you want to do?"

"What can I do? Really? What good is calling the cops if they don't believe me? And now, you!"

"Come on, Pam. I know you don't think that." Jim eyed her flushed cheeks, her eyes burning angrily, seeing the fear caught behind them. "Listen, let's not fight about it, okay. I'll go check outside again and then come back and make sure everything is locked up."

"Wait." she stopped him, the anger sliding away from her face. "Don't. Don't go out there, don't go anywhere. Stay."

"You don't want me to go check outside?"

She shook her head. "No, no, don't. If he was out there the cops would have scared him away probably now. On the chance that he is out there remember it's not just me he's pissed at."

Now that she had admitted the possibility to herself – the possibility that she had made a mistake – her blood ran cold inside of her and with a terrible heaviness. She had dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night, yes, she had woken up suddenly, thick with past horrors, mouth dry with revulsion. Yes, she had wandered out to the living room. She was no fool – of course Jim would see past it all to the obvious question of why she was up and looking out of windows in the early hours of the night. Sometimes she could curse that he knew her so well.

"Sure you're okay?" he asked, looking at her with concern. In a flash he was standing next to her.

"Yeah." She edged her hand towards his, brushing tentative fingertips against his palm. Guilt sat heavily on her chest. Her mood shifted and she looked up at Jim with longing, inexplicably feeling a surge of affection for him. He opened his hand up, letting her entwine their fingers together in a tight grasp, pressing their palms together.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." she said in a soft voice.

The corner of his lip quirked up in a small smile. "You want me to stay?"

"Yeah." she turned to him without hesitation, seeming to snap back into reality. "God, you're freezing. You came out in just a t-shirt?"

"Mmhmm."

"Such a badass. Go get in bed before you turn blue. I'll bring in some hot chocolate." she forced a jovial tone to her voice, wanting to do something for him. A split second later it occurred to her that Jim had never actually seen her bedroom before – not that there was much to see – except the numerous cardboard boxes attracting thick layers of dust laying haphazardly in corners, along with the almost empty wardrobe and unemptied bags scattered and hanging off the door handles. This brought a slight flush of embarrassment to her cheeks. "Go on," she softly encouraged, putting the state of her room aside.

She went into the kitchen, taking the time out to try and pull the pieces of herself together. As the water boiled, she stared in complete unbelief out of the window, the clear image of the man she had seen earlier now murky in her memory, his shape, his solid form fraying and changing in her mind the way dreams do as they escape the immediate past. There was no sign of the man – anyone – out there now. She watched, waiting for the trees to come to life and take the shape of someone, waiting for some validation that would take away the uncertainty that cloaked around her.

-TO-

When she had gone back into the bedroom, Jim was under the blankets, leaning back against the headboard. The sight of him nestled in her bed, an unassuming grin lighting up his face was oddly endearing. Taking him in as she set the steaming mugs down, she returned his smile, it suddenly dawning on her that she had never really noticed the depth of how handsome he was. There really wasn't any one thing about him that made him so, though she thought that wild hair of his came close. She had always loved his messy head, even though others often made fun of it. It was so thick, so lustrous; it was just him, just who he was. He was attractive all the way through, his hazel eyes were deep, his voice was always soft, kind, but mostly it was the person he was within that reflected out and made him so attractive.

"Jim?" she said tentatively, sliding under the covers next to him. She sat up against the headboard, unconsciously mirroring him, her head slightly tilted to the side towards him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for coming over." Again she reached for his hand, slipping her palm comfortably against his warm one on top of the covers.

Abruptly his head turned, kissing her cheek. "You doing okay?"

A wry smile slipped across her lips. "Much better. I'm... sorry." she exhaled loudly.

His fingers tightened around hers. "And why are you sorry?"

"Seeing ghosts, maybe. Or maybe not."

Jim was silent a moment, taking in the implications of that.

"I didn't get you over here on false pretenses." she added quickly, turning her head against the headboard once more to face him.

"Oh." he said cheekily. "Well that's a disappointment."

Pam gaped at him, before squashing her nerves down through her stomach. The familiarity of their routines, their comfortable, joking banter warmed her inside. "Yeah, pulled you from that hot date with Pamela Anderson, huh?"

"I know, right? She was going straight for a home run unt– "

"– A home run, eh? Steamy. She was really into you, huh?"

Jim sighed with a dreamy air. "Oh yeah she was. Can't deny it, she wanted me so bad."

"Rounding out a home run, lucky guy." she teased.

"Yeah, she actually called me, she was full on all over me, sorry babe, but – "

"And then I called and woke you up?" she said with amusement.

Jim laughed. "And then you called and woke me up."

Her thoughts were starting to blur, shapes and images shifting through her mind running together with drowsiness and the comforting warmth of the man next to her. "I didn't call my mom." she whispered. She leaned against the headboard, sliding towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. Seconds later warm lips pressed against her forehead.

"I mean… she might have tried to call this evening." she said quietly.

Jim laughed, in spite of himself. "And you might not have answered her calls."

"Don't be mad." she said in his ear.

"Don't be silly." he replied, and kissed her again.

She rolled her eyes upwards, weighing up his expression. "I just really don't want my mom to have to do that."

"Probably what she wanted to call you about. Did the lawyer say she had to if they called her as a witness?"

She paused. "I'm… not sure. I think so. I don't know."

Jim was perceptive enough to realize her response was an avoidance, a side stepping the issue. Still, he didn't want to press her on it in the middle of the night, so he chose to stay silent. He looked down, smiling at her. Once more he kissed her head, then laid his cheek against her curls.

"You're all warm again." she murmured sleepily.

Jim laughed. "It's you. You're like a hot water bottle."

Stroking his hand with her thumb, she closed her eyes. "Roy always said I was so cold he needed gloves to touch me without getting frostbite."

A frown crossed Jim's forehead. "Roy's a jerk. Wrong about everything."

A warmth spread through her chest, a feeling so intense she felt she could be overwhelmed by it. A feeling of being alive in a way she hadn't felt before, her soul was piecing itself back together. She suddenly felt electrified, a new hope for the future taking shape.

"I'm glad you're here." she whispered in his ear. Then moving her head slightly, she kissed his shoulder.

"Me too."

"Stay." she whispered, and floated into sleep.

-TO-

Jim was in the shower when the phone rang. He had to head home and get his work clothes before turning up at the office. Pam was watching the time, flicking glances at the clock every now and again ready to nudge him if it looked like he was taking too long.

Then his phone rang. She looked at it, shivering away on the arm of the couch. From her perch on the other end of the couch she could make out the name on the lit screen. Plucking up the phone she hurried to the bathroom door. The shower snapped off before she got there, and there was silence.

"Jim?" she called out. "Your phone's ringing – it's your sister."

"Huh?" he grunted, sounding perplexed. "Can you grab it please? I'll be out in a second."

Pam blanched, a worried frown creasing her forehead. "Uh… okay." she said. She'd not met, nor spoken to Larissa, but she knew Jim thought a lot of her, had a great deal of respect for her. Suddenly her mouth was dry.

Hesitantly she answered the phone, nerves slipping away on hearing the other woman's voice, who was displaying much more nervous energy and emotion than Pam. Heart sinking deeply she listened to Jim's sister a few minutes, moving to the bathroom door again urgently.

"Hang on, Larissa, I think he's coming now." she said, knocking on the door.

She could hear several voices in the background of the call, a tinny, loud reception and the slapping beat of shoes walking on sheet vinyl. "I've got to go – Mom's calling me over – please tell Jim I'll call again as soon as possible."

Then came a shuffling sound, and the call cut off. Pam drew in a shaky breath, unsure of how to proceed. The bathroom door opened with a roll of steam clouding into the room, and in the middle of it Jim emerged, looking fresh and relaxed. He had dressed in his jeans again and was reaching for his keys when Pam stopped him, grasping his wrist gently.

"Jim, wait." she said. He looked at her, his other hand hovering over the keys, immediately reading her expression.

"What is it?" he said, staring at her nervously.

"Um.." she wondered how to begin. Carefully she chose her words. "Your dad's been taken to hospital. The good news is that he's not in any immediate danger, but your sister said it is serious. I'm sorry." she said, rubbing his arm gently.

Jim was lost for words. She could see it, it was so unlike him she felt uneasy. Before they could talk further, the phone shrilled again and this time Jim answered. Pam stood by watching him worriedly, unconsciously rubbing gentle circles on his upper back while he asked questions of his sister.

"I should go over there." he said once Larissa had cut off again. Pam nodded, expecting it. Jim looked around for his keys, in a daze and not seeing them beside him on the coffee table. Pam plucked them up, handing them to him and went to fetch her coat. Remembering Jim hadn't brought a coat with him, she lifted the throw blanket off the chair in the bedroom, throwing it over her arm.

Jim was at the door when she came back, waiting for her. "I'll call you once I know anything." he said hurriedly.

She looked at his pale face, and made her way across the room to him. Gently she took the keys out of his hand.

"I'm driving. Let's go." she said, gently ushering him out the door.